Hearts and Aces (Kelsey's Burden Series Book 7) by Kaylie Hunter (great books for teens txt) 📗

already based on the spray pattern. Should we be expecting the cops to show up? Do I need to call your lawyer?”

"We were kidnapped, but we escaped and imprisoned our kidnappers. I’m too tired to explain more than that. Tyler is still at Alex’s house if you want the gory details. Tell him I gave you the green light.”

“Am I going to be pissed?”

I thought about it and shook my head. “Rather boring, really. Same ole, same ole.”

“God, that’s frightening,” Beth said from the table. “I’m going to bed.”

“Are you okay?” I asked. “I feel like you got more than you bargained for tonight.”

Beth raised her arms in an I’m not sure gesture. “Next time, I’d rather be kidnapped. Sitting here worried about the rest of you was hard enough, but to pretend nothing was wrong was the worst.”

“Welcome to my world. The kidnapping was actually kind of fun.”

Beth laughed as she climbed the steps and turned the corner.

I turned to Wild Card. “I need to check on Hattie. Check in with Tyler.” I climbed the stairs, turning toward Hattie’s room and knocking on her door.

“Come in, sunshine,” Hattie called out.

“I heard you have a headache. You okay?” I asked as I walked across the room.

Hattie was sitting in her favorite rocking chair, overlooking the window to the field.

“Nothing a cup of tea and an aspirin couldn’t handle,” she said as she took another sip from her tea cup. “What about you? Tyler left in a hurry earlier, reassigning security before he disappeared with a handful of men.”

“We were sort of kidnapped, but not really. I even made it home in time to tuck Nicholas into bed, so it’s all good.”

“No one was hurt?”

“Katie’s butt might have a bruise,” I answered as I laughed. “She could’ve fared much worse if we would’ve sparred like we’d planned, though.”

Hattie smiled as she turned her attention back to her tea. She had dark circles under her eyes, worrying me that she was overextended, but her skin was also pale and that worried me more.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Just a long day, dear. Nothing to fret over. If it’s all right with you, I’m going to read a chapter or two and then go to bed.”

“Relax then,” I said, leaning over to kiss her forehead. “I’ll handle breakfast in the morning. You should sleep in late.”

She nodded, opening her book. “I might just do that.”

~*~*~

Returning downstairs, I found the kitchen and dining room were empty. I could still hear the guys down the hall in the family room laughing as they played cards. I could also hear someone working out in the basement, and another someone snoring loudly. The kitchen and dining room, though, were oddly missing their normal buzz.

“Where is everyone?” Anne whispered from the stairs behind me. “This is so eerie.”

“I was just thinking the same. Drink?”

“Yes, please. What are we drinking?”

“Something fruity, fabulous, and strong.”

“My kind of drink.”

“Point me to the liquor,” Shipwreck said as he climbed the basement stairs, “and I’ll make all your dreams come true.”

I walked into the kitchen and opened the liquor cabinet and the cabinet with the glasses. Shipwreck pulled out various bottles.

“Shipwreck, this is Anne. Anne, this is Shipwreck. He helped the boys get out of Mexico but ended up homeless in the process.”

“Not to mention, minus a bar,” Shipwreck grumbled.

“Oh, quit pushing me for answers,” I said, sighing. “I’ve had a long, busy day.”

“You dropped a comment about building me a bar, then you changed the subject,” Shipwreck said as he set two hurricane glasses on the breakfast bar and slid them to Anne and me.

“What? No garnishes?”

“I didn’t see any fruit in the refrigerator.”

“Bottom right drawer,” Wild Card said from the top of the basement stairs. He continued walking past us and down the hall.

Anne jumped, startled by something. She pulled a phone out of her back pocket, giggling. “It’s yours. You should check your messages, too. Damn thing has been vibrating every ten minutes.”

“It always does.” I checked the newest text message which was from Tyler telling me to close the blinds. I slid off my stool and walked over to the wall panel. Thanks to Tech and Carl’s combined electronical know-how, I could push a button and close all the common area blinds.

As I slid back onto my barstool, I laughed at Anne. She was sucking down her drink at a rapid pace. “Slow down or the guys will have to carry you off to bed.”

She wiggled her eyebrows. “Which guys?”

Wild Card chuckled as he walked back into the dining room. “Jack on the rocks, barkeep.”

Wild Card tossed a t-shirt at me which I took as an order to change out of my blood-stained tank top. Since I was wearing a sports bra anyway, I slid the tank top off and the t-shirt on without leaving my barstool.

“What happened to your arm?” Anne asked, grabbing my wrist to look at my forearm.

I looked at my arm. The reddish welts had turned a lovely shade of purple. “Blocked a chair being launched at my head by a very angry little boy. Which reminds me,” I turned to look at Wild Card as he settled on the stool next to me, “can you help me watch Nicholas the next couple of days? I don’t want him back in class until we know he has his emotions under control. He could’ve hurt Sara or Beth today.”

“Already planned on it,” Wild Card said, nodding as he sipped the drink Shipwreck had made for him. “I’ll stay as long as Nicholas needs me. Don’t think for a minute though that Grady’s not going to hear from me about that shit. That kid’s been through enough. Grady fucked up.”

“Agreed, but